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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973687">Bruises</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/llovedove/pseuds/llovedove'>llovedove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Peter Parker: The human disaster [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Child Abuse, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, May Parker Has an Abusive Partner (Spider-Man), Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Peter Parker Needs a Break, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Protective Ned Leeds, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Whump, prompt: bruises</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:00:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/llovedove/pseuds/llovedove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rob never hurt Peter. He was just drunk and angry. </p><p>But Peter’s spidey senses were growing worse the more he was around Rob. Whenever the man would start yelling so would his spidey senses. Sometimes it would yell at him to duck, or to step back from a blow that never came. </p><p>Rob never hurt Peter but Peter wasn’t surprised when he finally did. </p><p>or</p><p>Aunt May has an abusive Boyfriend and Peter feels trapped</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>May Parker (Spider-Man) &amp; Peter Parker, Ned Leeds &amp; Peter Parker, Peter Parker &amp; Original Male Character(s), Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Peter Parker: The human disaster [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>511</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt: Bruises</p><p>I did NOT mean for this to be as long as it turned out to be. But oh well!</p><p>This one is way darker than the others so please be wary.</p><p>TW: Child abuse and Attempted Rape (Nothing happens I promise)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Peter grabbed his notebooks from his locker and stuffed them into his backpack. Ned was rambling next to him about Star wars lego sets but Peter was struggling to follow along with what he was saying. Instead, he was stressing out about going home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>May had recently met a new guy and seemed to really be hitting it off with him. His name was Rob and he seemed really nice. Up until he moved in. He seemed to have a hatred for Peter. Anytime he saw him he would glare and say something rude. Peter was shocked when Rob first showed his hatred for him, not knowing what he had done to upset him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was used to Robert's rude comments now, having gotten used to the fact that Rob just seemed to dislike him. Rob never said anything rude toward Peter whenever May was present, instead, he acted like he loved Peter. May would stare at her two boys in awe at seeing them get along so well when really that wasn’t what was happening at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter noticed that whenever Rob touched him he was very rough. He would pull Peter to his side in a side hug when May was present and May found it the cutest thing meanwhile Peter was trying not to whimper from Rob's fingers and nails digging into his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that’s what May didn’t see. And she never will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter had come home one day to see Rob passed out drunk on the sofa in the living room. An empty beer bottle held loosely in his right hand and his jaw hanging open as loud snores fell from his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>May wasn’t home which meant Peter needed to keep Rob’s attention drawn away from him until she was home which wouldn’t be for a few hours. Rob had never hurt Peter, not physically at least. He would just squeeze a little too hard or bump into him sometimes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter also knew the man was a bit creepy. He was also an alcoholic. He claimed he wasn’t and even got mad and threw some things when Peter insisted he was. But the man got drunk almost every night. Some nights Peter would wake up to hearing his door to his room opening and stumbling footsteps walking toward his bed. Rob would slip into Peter's bed and Peter always told himself that the drunk man was just mistaking his room for Mays. Peter would have to wait until Rob fell asleep before he could slip out from his bed or else the man would just tug him back and force him to stay. May would question why he ended up sleeping on the couch some nights and Peter would always shrug it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob never hurt Peter. He was just drunk and angry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Peter’s spidey senses were growing worse the more he was around Rob. Whenever the man would start yelling so would his spidey senses. Sometimes it would yell at him to duck, or to step back from a blow that never came. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob never hurt Peter but Peter wasn’t surprised when he finally did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter saw the stack of dirty dishes sitting in the sink and knew it was his turn to clean them. He felt his heart pick up a bit when he glanced back over at the man still passed out on his couch. He didn’t know how he would do this without waking up the light sleeper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter stopped by his room to drop off his backpack before moving into the kitchen. He took note of the pans stacked on each other and knew they would make too much noise if he wasn’t careful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was unlucky. He moved one pan and the one under it had clanked with other dishes from the shifting weight creating a loud noise to echo through the room. Peter’s senses screamed and Peter picked up the way the snoring had come to a stop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That day was the day Rob hurt him for the first time. The man had woken up, yelled at Peter, grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground before delivering a kick to his ribs. Once the man realized what he had done he threatened Peter that if he ever told anyone or even May, she would pay for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s why May doesn’t know and never will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Peter?” Ned’s voice brought him back to the present. He blinked and looked up at his friend who wore a concerned expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, man. What did you say?” Peter apologized and shifted uncomfortably under his friend's stare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re worried about Rob aren’t you?” Ned inquired, knowing what his friend was like. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ned only knew about Rob’s abusive nature because he had witnessed it once when he was over at Peter’s. They were hanging out in his room when Rob came in and asked to speak to Peter alone with fake kindness in his voice. Ned had picked up on the way Peter’s face visibly paled and once he left the room with May’s boyfriend Ned had cracked open the door to spy on the conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could see Peter and Rob standing in the living room, talking about something he couldn’t hear. The next thing he saw was Rob swinging his hand and smacking the back of Peter’s head harshly, making Peter stumble a bit. He then grabbed Peter's arm and yanked him extremely close to his face, he could see the way Peter cringed at Rob's breath as he hissed at him with a sneer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Peter got back to his room Ned had told him what he saw and that had sent Peter spiralling into a panic attack. Repeating over and over that Ned wasn’t allowed to know about that. Ned promised he wouldn’t tell if Peter just explained to him when the abuse started and why he hadn’t told anyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since then, Ned had been trying to get Peter to tell May or even Tony but Peter insisted it wasn’t a good idea. Peter had no idea how dangerous Rob could be and he didn’t want to risk May’s safety. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine. I just don’t know what he’s gonna be like today.” Peter shrugged and closed his locker, locking it back up before slinging his backpack over his shoulder and walking down the hall with Ned by his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you going to the tower today? At least you’ll get to avoid him by doing that.” Ned reasoned. Peter nodded in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but only for a few hours. Maybe I can ask Mr. Stark if I can work a few extra hours and hopefully by the time I get back Rob will be passed out.” Peter planned out loud. Ned nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Peter, you have to tell someone eventually. You can’t just let him keep smacking you around. Plus he’s extremely creepy. You know when you’re not looking he’s always staring at you like a pig?” Ned pointed out, a disgusted scowl. Peter swallowed the lump in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… I know.” he mumbled. And Ned frowned. They reached the sidewalk where they both had to go separate ways. And Ned turned to look at his friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously, though. Tell someone before he takes it too far. I can’t promise I won’t tell. This is hard for me to see you being put through this. I’m worried about you.” Ned clapped Peter’s shoulder that wasn’t bruised, knowing that Peter had a nasty bruise on his left shoulder that was still healing. Peter nodded and pulled Ned into a hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, Ned. I want to and I will. Just not yet.” Peter told him and Ned nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you tomorrow. Message me when you get to the tower.” Ned told him and Peter smiled at his friends over protectiveness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will do. See you tomorrow.” Peter smiled and they both turned, walking in opposite directions. Peter slipped in his headphones and played music sending Tony a quick message saying he’ll be there soon and that he just needs to make a stop at his place real quick. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter tried calming his racing heart as the elevator brought him to his floor. It dinged when it came to a stop and the doors opened. Peter walked slower than he usually would, trying to delay having to walk through those doors and be greeted by the cruel man inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His heart was pounding in his chest like it did every time he was standing in front of the door to his apartment. He fished his key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock with shaky hands, giving it a turn and hearing the lock click. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter took one last deep breath before pushing open the door and walking into the apartment. He noticed Rob sitting on the couch, sipping from a beer and eating cereal while watching the TV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man heard Peter’s arrival and glanced over at him, looking him up and down before returning his attention back to the TV which Peter was grateful for. Peter slipped off his jacket and made his way over to his room where he had to grab his suit so he and Tony could work on some upgrades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pushed the door shut but left it open a crack, knowing the rule that Rob had made about him not being allowed to fully shut his bedroom door which was a little odd. Peter listened for footsteps while he walked over to his closet and fished out his hidden suit before stuffing it into his backpack, under all the books. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter told Ned he was planning on telling someone about Rob and he wasn’t lying. He just needed to make sure he had proof of everything Rob did. Peter knew that if he went to the cops and just told them that he was being abused they wouldn’t believe him. He also knew that his bruises and injuries healed way faster than normal and that would draw suspicion and they would assume he just used makeup or something to make them. He knew that because he already tried that. He went to the police and they just laughed at him. They didn’t believe him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So that’s why Peter pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened the camera. He switched it to video and pressed the record button before stuffing the device back into his pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew he wasn’t going to get out of the house without Rob at least saying something so Peter was recording every interaction he had with Rob for the past week, gathering proof of his abuse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter inhaled to calm his racing heart before slinging his backpack over his back and walking about out of his room where Rob was still sitting on the couch. Peter glanced at him before making a beeline to the door and grabbing his coat. He nearly made it out when Rob spoke up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think you’re going? Just come home and leave without even saying hi?” the older man prodded, seemingly calm as he looked at Peter. Peter swallowed the lump in his throat and cleared his throat before speaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Thursday… I have the internship.” was all he said. Rob stared at him for a second before motioning for him to come over to him. Peter hesitated but obeyed as soon as he saw the smallest hint of anger on the man's face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter walked over and stopped in front of Rob, making sure he wasn’t blocking the TV. Rob stared at him in silence and slowly nudged the bowl of what once had cereal in it but was only left with milk now, off of his knee where it was resting. It crashed onto the carpet and the milk poured from the glass bowl, but the bowl was still in one piece. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter clenched his fist at his sides and bit his tongue, knowing if he spoke without being spoken to he would get in trouble. Rob grinned when he noticed his clenched fists. He nodded his head toward the mess and simply said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now clean it up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter had to bite back the urge to say no but he knew that would make everything worse. He just needed to clean this up and then he could leave. Hopefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter let his backpack slip off of his shoulder and drop to the ground as he walked over to the kitchen to grab some paper towels and a cup of water. He returned back to the wet carpet and glared at Rob as he got down on his knees at his feet and poured some water where the milk had seeped into the carpet. He began dabbing at it with the paper towel until all it was dry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob was grinning the entire time while looking down at him. Peter kept his eyes down, locked on his feet as he stood back up with the wet paper towels in his hand. He walked into the kitchen to throw them out when he heard Rob getting up from the couch, the recliner snapping back in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a groan as he stretched his limbs before walking over to the kitchen with the now-empty bowl in his hands. He looked at the dishes sitting in the sink and pointed to them with his free hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wash those for me would ya.” he demanded more than asked. Peter narrowed his eyes at the dishes before looking at Rob who was watching him expectantly. But Peter made no move to do as he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not my turn. It’s yours,” he said and immediately regretted it when Rob's eyes went dark and what was once calm was now furious as he took a step toward Peter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did you say, boy?” he glowered, taking another step toward him. Peter stepped back, not realizing he was being backed into a corner. Peter steeled himself and repeated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not my turn.” he glared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh really?” Rob chuckled, raising a brow. He was expecting Peter to apologize as soon as he realized the danger he was in but when he received no apology he grew angrier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter’s senses told him the hit was coming but he knew he had to take it. If he dodged it, it would be way too suspicious. He felt the back of Rob's hand collide with his cheek, his knuckles splitting open the skin on his cheekbone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t fucking talk back to me, boy. Remember your place.” He growled, pointing a threatening finger in his face. Peter kept his eyes glued to his shoes. He steeled himself yet again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I have to go… I promise I’ll do the dishes when I get home. I told Mr. Stark I’d be there soon and he’ll get worried if he doesn’t hear back from me.” Peter said in a small voice, risking a glance up at the man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I give a shit? You’re not going anywhere unless I allow it. Tell Stark that you can’t come over today.” He ordered and took another step toward Peter, his back now against the wall, he felt himself beginning to panic. He needed to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Mr. Stark said-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t give a flying shit what that idiot has to say! I am your father, your superior. You listen to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Rob roared, making Peter flinch when he raised his hand to point to himself. Peter realized what he had said and that's where he drew the line. Peter furrowed his brows and glared up at the man in defiance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>my father.” he snarled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob looked shocked before he composed himself, he clenched his jaw and his fists, the vein in greasy forehead becoming visible. He was furious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter knew he screwed up but he did not regret what he said. He glanced at the door behind Rob. His spidey senses went haywire when Rob raised his fist. Peter’s eyes grew wide and he moved to dart to the door, not caring about his backpack. He needed Mr. Stark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He almost made it to the door when suddenly a hand clamped around his arm and yanked him back. He gasped as his back slammed harshly against the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was already panicking but as soon as he felt Rob’s hand wrap around his throat, he was sure he was going to pass out from fear, if not lack of air. He gasped in a lungful of air right before the hand squeezed and cut off most of his airway, pressing down painfully against his windpipe. The man was in his face, his yellow teeth visible as he snarled. Peter couldn’t help but think…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell did May see in this guy?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You better check yourself. Remember who the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>is in charge here. Remember what I said. You tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>and May </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>pay for it. I’ll hurt her. I’ll hurt her so bad and then I’ll do it again. And again. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And there will be nothing you can do about it.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter felt tears falling down his cheeks as he kicked and struggled to draw in air. He was digging his nails into the hand wrapped around his throat but Rob didn’t seem to notice the pain. He was too damn angry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter knew he could easily overpower him but that would mean using his super strength because if he was just a regular teenager, there was no way he’d be able to overpower this 6’1 man. Besides, Rob had limited meals for Peter lately so he wasn’t at his full strength, he was weaker without the food in his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hand around his throat was removed and he was thrown to the ground roughly. Peter coughed and heaved in air. His throat was bruised and sore as he rubbed at it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t given much time to recover before he felt a hand in his hair, dragging him across the floor. He let out a cry and reached up to try to pry the hand out of his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob ignored his nails digging into his hand and dragged Peter with him over to his room, Peter kicked and screamed the whole time. Rob threw the door open and lifted Peter to his feet before shoving him into his room. Peter tripped over his own feet and landed on the floor with a thud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob closed the door behind him and locked it before he advanced toward Peter. He grabbed the collar of Peter’s hoodie and drew his fist back before bringing it down, Peter heard and felt his nose crack and yelled in pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob grabbed him by his hair once again and dragged him to his feet. He dragged Peter over to his bed and threw him onto it. What he didn’t notice was the device recording everything in his pocket, flying out and landing on the floor, propped up against a stack of books. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was terrified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has never seen Rob this angry before. He had only ever hit him once or twice and then stopped after that. He never continued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His fear grew stronger when he heard the sound of a belt clinking. He looked up from his pillow to see Rob unbuckling his belt and pulling it out of the loops of his jeans. He folded it and climbed on top of Peter, pinning him down on the bed. He raised his hand holding the belt and brought it down with so much speed you could hear the </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoosh </span>
  </em>
  <span>through the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The belt made contact with his body but his hoodie protected him slightly. Rob noticed that and set down his belt before grabbing the hem of Peter’s sweater and pulling it up and off of his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Peter screamed and raised his hands to protect himself as Rob brought the belt back down, this time it made contact with his skin and he could feel the sharp stinging pain on his torso. Rob repeated that a few times. He got his arms, his torso, and even his cheek before he finally stopped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter could hear both him and Rob panting. The next sound that filled the room was the sound of a zipper being unzipped. Peter’s eyes shot open and he moved to sit up and push Rob off of him but was shoved back down with a hand around his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Stop! Don’t touch me!” Peter pleaded, sobbing now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut the fuck up!” Rob yelled and backhanded him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter now knew what Ned meant by “tell someone before he takes it too far.” This was taking it too far. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rob was gonna rape him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Rob started working on popping open the button on Peter’s pants Peter shot up and brought his fist back, swinging and hitting Rob right in the nose and sending him flying back into the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was panting as he sat up and stared at the groaning man. He needed to leave. He needed to leave. Right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter shot up from his bed and hastily pulled on his hoodie, wincing when it touched the welts on his torso left from the belt. Peter was about to leave when he realized his phone wasn’t in his pocket. He saw it on the floor, the camera pointed at his bed. He reached down and grabbed it before running out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t bother grabbing his jacket or backpack. He was too focused on getting away from the angry man who was now standing up and getting ready to chase after him. Peter threw open the door and bolted down the corridor. He used the stairs instead of the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was winter and it was freezing, he was only wearing a hoodie and jeans. He needed to get to the tower fast because not only was a maniac chasing him but his spider DNA made it so he couldn’t thermoregulate and he could freeze easily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ignored the looks he was getting from people as he darted down the street and toward the tower. He had lost Rob at some point but he knew Rob knew where he was going. It just depended on if he was stupid enough to step foot in an avengers tower, looking to beat a kid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter nearly sobbed in relief when he saw the tower. He stopped the recording on his phone and ran through the entrance. Not missing how some people gasped when they saw his beat-up face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter ran into the elevator and pressed the floor he knew Tony was waiting for him on. While it took him up Peter looked at his phone, seeing the multiple missed calls and messages from Tony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter quickly sent May a message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>‘STAY AT WORK. DO NOT GO HOME. I’LL EXPLAIN LATER. JUST DO NOT GO HOME.’</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter felt everything come crashing down as he realized what had just happened. Ned was right. He should’ve told someone sooner. Peter slid down to the ground and brought his knees to his chest. He began sobbing. The adrenalin was wearing off and he could feel how much pain he was in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard the elevator ding and come to a stop, he stood to his feet and limped out of the elevator and could hear the music blasting from the lab where he knew Tony was waiting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened the glass door and he could see Tony sitting at his workbench with his back to him. Friday automatically turned down the music upon Peter’s arrival. Tony looked up in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-Tony.” Peter sobbed out, hating how broken he sounded. Tony spun around so fast he nearly fell off of his stool. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as Tony saw Peter, standing at the door of his lab with his face bloody and beaten, his hair tousled, his neck bruised, and his hand clutching his stomach, he knew something was definitely wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obviously. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's chapter two! </p>
<p>Happy ending :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Peter?! What the fuck happened?!” Tony nearly shouted, jumping to his feet. Peter burst into tears and crumpled to the floor. Tony ran over and gathered the beaten teen in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter? Peter, I need you to tell me what happened!” Tony was panicking. His kid just suddenly shows up to his lab, 30 minutes late, bruised and battered, sobbing his heart out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I-It was all my f-f-fault! If I had just d-done th-the dishes like he asked this wouldn’t h-have happened. I’m so s-stupid. I shouldn't have t-talked back.” Peter choked out between sobs. He was exhausted and rested his head against Tony’s chest. Tony was confused. He gently grabbed Peter’s face and pulled back so he could look into his kid's red puffy eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do the dishes? What? Pete, hey, Pete. Calm down, buddy. Breathe. Who are you talking about? What’s going on? I can’t help if you don’t tell me what's going on.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked at him through his wet eyelashes before looking back down and dropping his head back against Tony’s chest. He wanted to tell Tony but Rob's words were repeating themselves in his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll hurt her. I’ll hurt her so bad and then I’ll do it again. And again. And again. And there will be nothing you can do about it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony realized Peter wasn’t ready to talk about it so he nodded to himself and rested his chin on top of Peter's head, running his fingers through his messy hair. Peter’s sobs had calmed down but he was still crying, his cries muffled by Tony’s shirt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sat with him for a few more minutes before he scooped him up into his arms, not missing the way Peter winced in pain. He walked him over to the sofa and set him down gently. Peter was watching him nervously. When Tony raised his hand to brush back Peter’s curls he flinched. Tony frowned at that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete… Can I take your hoodie off? Check you for any more injuries?” Tony asked gently. Peter looked like he was going to burst into tears again and Tony began to panic. “It’s okay if you don't want me to but I would really like to make sure you’re okay,” he assured him. He waited a bit before asking again. “So can I?” Peter hesitated before nodding. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony moved and grabbed the hem of his hoodie, gently lifting it up and over his head, Peter winced when it was pulled over his head, touching his broken nose. Tony threw the hoodie aside and turned to look back at Peter’s now bare torso. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s blood went cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s eyes scanned his welt covered body. Peter’s ribs were bruised and red, along with the red and purple welts across his chest, stomach, and arms. Tony looked up at Peter’s face, noticing the small welt there too. He knew that it was a belt that caused this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter…” Tony began. He wanted to know what the hell happened to his kid. He looked up at Peter who was looking at him with tired eyes. He didn’t get to say anything before Peter had fallen asleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sighed and grabbed Peter's ice-cold hand. He wasn’t wearing his jacket when he arrived and he also didn’t have his backpack. He was winded as if he had been running. What had happened when Peter got home. Was he jumped on his way home? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pressed a kiss to the back of Peter’s hand before standing up and grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the couch. He reached into Peter’s pocket to grab his phone. He knows Peter always had to charge it after school because the battery sucked. He wrapped Peter in the blanket and lifted his head gently to put a pillow under it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He told FRIDAY to dim the lights as he walked over to his desk to plug in the phone. The screen lit up to notify that it was charging but something caught Tony’s eye. A message from May saying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Aunt May: What? Are you okay?’</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Missed call from Aunt May</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony frowned and read the next notification. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Video saved to photo library. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Something was up. Tony had a bad feeling. He glanced over at the sleeping teenager before looking back down at the phone in his hands. He pulled his stool over and sat down. He hesitated before typing in the passcode, having seen Peter do it many times. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony opened the messages to see unopened messages from Aunt May and Ned asking if he was okay and then one he didn’t recognize. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Rob.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Rob: You can’t stay at that tower forever.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was all it said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Who the hell was Rob? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony opened the other messages. Peter had warned May to stay at work and not go home for what reason? Tony didn’t know. But he would find out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>‘Hey, May. This is Tony. After work come straight to the tower, we need to talk about something. Peter’s with me, he’ll be okay.’ </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He opened Ned’s worried messages. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>‘Peter? You never messaged me to tell me you got to the tower safely. Is everything okay? Did Rob do something? Please just let me know you’re okay.’</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony replied. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>‘Hey Ned, this is Tony. Peter is with me but he’s pretty beat up. He’s sleeping right now but I’ll keep you updated.’</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony exited out of the messages and went to his photo library. He felt like he was invading Peter’s privacy but at the moment, he didn’t care. There was something Peter wasn’t telling him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony smiled at the goofy selfies Peter had of himself. He frowned when the pictures changed from happy and goofy to dark and twisted. He saw the photos of Peter standing in the mirror, holding his shirt up to show his bruised ribs. Another where he had a black eye, and one more showing purple marks around his throat. All of those photos had been taken a week ago, all on separate days throughout the week. Tony hadn’t seen any bruises when Peter was with him. Maybe they healed by then.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was Peter in some type of abusive relationship or something that Tony didn’t know about? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony saw the video that had been saved as the most recent thing. It was 20 minutes long. This would probably explain why Peter was late and what he had been doing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony tapped the video and pressed play, turning down the volume so it wouldn’t wake Peter up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The video started. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had started with a nervous Peter shoving the recording device back into his pocket. He left his room and all Tony could hear was silence before a voice spoke up. A man Tony didn’t recognize.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony assumed this was Rob.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter told the man that he had an internship. More silence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then Tony could hear the sound of glass hitting a carpeted floor and liquid spilling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Now clean it up.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>the voice said and Tony could pretty much hear the grin behind his words. He already hated this guy. Tony listened as Peter did what he said, cleaning up the mess that the man had created.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could hear them talking and suddenly the man's voice was dangerous. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘What did you say to me, boy?’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘It’s not my turn.’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Oh really.’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was silence and Tony flinched when he heard a hand colliding with skin. The man had slapped Peter. Tony glanced over at the sleeping boy, taking note of the bruise and split skin on his right cheekbone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The video escalated from there. The man began yelling at Peter and Peter was nervously trying to tell the man that he had to go. He felt guilty when he heard Peter mention him. He should’ve gone and checked on him the first 10 minutes that he was late. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the man said he was Peter’s father Tony felt a surge of jealousy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No. Peter was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>kid. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘You are not my father.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>he heard Peter snarl. Then everything went downhill. Peter tried making a run for it and Tony’s heart sped up when he could hear the sound of Peter gasping and struggling for air while the man threatened him and May. Threatening that if he told anyone, he would hurt May. That’s why Peter didn’t want to tell Tony what happened. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man eventually let go of Peter and he fell to the ground gasping and coughing. Tony glanced at Peter. The bruises on his neck. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest had Tony nearly yelling at the screen, itching to do something to stop it but then he would remember that everything that was happening in this video had already happened. Tony was too late.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony winced as he heard Peter screaming and struggling through the recording. Then there was the sound of his nose being broken.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The screen that was black suddenly grew bright as the phone fell out of Peter’s pocket and rolled a few times before coming to a stop, the camera showed Peter being thrown onto the bed by the large man and Tony hated where this was going. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony felt his stomach twist when the man got on top of his kid and pulled off his belt and brought it down against him, the sound of it thwacking against skin made Tony’s face pale and he felt the urge to throw up. He repeated the action over and over while Peter cried and attempted to shield himself from the blows. Tony looked away from the phone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just when Tony thought it couldn’t get worse, he heard the sound of a zipper being unzipped then the panicked cries coming from Peter and the man yelling at him to shut up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony wanted to throw up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to skip what he knew was about to happen when rob began unbuttoning Peter’s jeans but stopped short when Peter reared back his fist and hit the man, sending him flying out of frame. Tony silently cheered his kid on. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The video continued, Peter threw his hoodie back on, grabbed his phone, and ran. He ran like his life depended on it and honestly, it probably did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest was just blurry and the sound of Peter panting and sobbing as he ran through the streets before it cut off. Ending there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stared at the phone trying to register everything he had just seen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spider-Man got hurt all the time. But Peter Parker? No one was allowed to hurt Peter Parker. That’s where Tony drew the line. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony needed to find out who this man was and give him hell. Tony was having his fair share of violent thoughts about this man. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s hands were shaking as he set the phone down. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest and he worried it would burst. Tony wondered why Peter hadn’t come to him or May about this. Then he remembered the threats Rob used against him about hurting May. Peter was trapped, at least that’s what he thought. Tony would make sure Robert would never touch his kid again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s fingers shook as he picked the phone back up. He felt like he was invading the kid's privacy as he opened the pictures of the bruises Peter had. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why did Peter have pictures?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony went to albums and his eyes landed on the one that was just called </span>
  <em>
    <span>Proof</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony opened it and saw that there were more pictures of Peter’s bruised body. There were also some videos. But Tony left them unopened. He didn’t think he would be able to watch something like that happening to his kid ever again. It made him sick. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sighed and turned off the phone. He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair as a way to try to compose himself. Tony didn’t know or even hear of a Rob before. But it seemed he was living at the apartment with May and Peter. So maybe he was May’s boyfriend or a close friend. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony wasn’t sure but he would find out. After he took care of his spider. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stood on shaky legs and walked over to the sofa where Peter was sleeping. He crouched down in front of the teen and brushed away the honey curls that had fallen in Peter’s bruised face. Peter was a mess, the dried blood and bruises on his face and neck almost made him unrecognizable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Pete.” Tony called softly, swiping his thumb across Peter’s cheek where a stray tear had escaped to in his sleep. Tony called his name a few more times, even throwing in his nicknames just to try to lighten the mood when finally warm brown doe eyes met his. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, kiddo. How about we get you cleaned up. Then we can cuddle up under some warm blankets and watch Mandalorian. How does that sound? ” Tony suggested and noticed the small pull of a smile on the boy's lips before it vanished. He nodded his head. Tony smiled and helped Peter sit up, wincing when Peter would whimper in pain at the movement. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony helped Peter walk out of the lab and into the elevator, Peter leaning his body against Tony’s the entire time. They made it to Tony’s private floor and Tony brought him over to the bathroom, getting Peter to sit down on the edge of the bathtub while he got stuff ready to clean up the cuts and blood. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter was quiet and that wasn’t normal for the energetic and talkative teen. It made Tony uneasy. But he didn’t blame the kid. He wasn’t expecting him to be all joyful after being beaten up by a man twice his age and size. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony talked about his day to try to keep Peter distracted from his thoughts and the feeling of </span>
  <span>hydrogen peroxide being dabbed at the open cuts on his face. Peter showed no signs of it hurting except for a wince or flinch here and there. Tony cleaned up the blood and stitched the gashes up. There was nothing he could do about the bruises, he would just have to let Peter’s healing factor take care of that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony led a silent Peter out of the bathroom and to the living room where he gathered a bunch of blankets and pillows for Peter to be comfortable. Once the two settled down under the warm blankets Tony turned on an episode of The Mandalorian. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a few minutes before Tony turned to Peter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You hungry? I can make some nice warm chicken noodle soup if you want?” Tony offered. Peter shook his head but his stomach then decided to grumble loudly, causing Peter’s cheeks to go red in embarrassment from being caught in a lie. But Tony only laughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure kiddo. I’m gonna make some soup.” Tony ruffled his curls and felt himself relax when Peter didn’t flinch this time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony came back 10 minutes later with two bowls of hot soup. He settled next to Peter and handed him the bowl. For the first time since he had shown up bruised and bloody, he spoke, but his voice was raw and rough from being nearly strangled earlier. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Peter managed to say, his throat flaring up in pain from the words. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem, Pete.” Tony smiled. They sat in silence, eating their soup and pretended to be watching the show even though they both weren’t. They were both deep in thought, trying to think of what to say. Tony was the first to speak. He reached over to grab the remote and turned down the volume before he turned to Peter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wanna tell me what happened?” Tony asked gently. Peter froze, his spoon hanging in front of his open mouth before he continued to bring it to his lips. He shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok… well since you don’t want to tell me I’ll just tell you. I saw the video.” Tony told him. Peter froze once again. He composed himself and put down his bowl on the coffee table in front of him. “I know you may feel like it was a violation of your privacy and in a way it was but I had a right to know why you showed up 30 minutes late on the verge of passing out with how badly you were hurt.” Tony defended himself, waiting for Peter to lash out and yell at him for going through his phone. But he was surprised when those brown eyes looked at him with nothing but fear. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete, please tell me what’s going on.” Tony scooted closer to the boy. Peter stayed silent. Tony sighed. “Ok, ok… How about I ask the questions and you just answer, ok?” Tony suggested. A pause, then a nod. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is Rob?” Tony started. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“May’s boyfriend.” came Peter’s quiet and broken voice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How long has he been living with you guys?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A few months.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Was this the first time he’s hurt you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Does May know?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of the threats?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A nod.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sighs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are the videos and pictures for?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To show someone once I was ready. Hopefully, put Rob in jail.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Has Rob ever touched you inappropriately?” Tony asked, his heart squeezing painfully. Hoping the answer was no. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another nod.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s heart broke. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Has he ever…” Tony stopped, not wanting to finish that sentence. Luckily he didn’t have to. Peter shook his head. And Tony let out a breath of relief. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Was this the first time he ever tried something like that?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony was grateful he wouldn’t have to be doing a rape kit on his 15-year-old kid. But that didn’t excuse the fact that this man had been abusing </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>boy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete, I want to help you but I can’t without May finding out. I promise you no harm will come to her if you get help. Can I help?” Tony promised. Peter looked up from the blankets surrounding him and for once his eyes held trust and not fear, if only a little bit of uncertainty. Peter seemed to think for a moment before he gave a small nod. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok…” he said softly. Tony smiled, happy that Peter trusted him so much.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so brave, underoos.” Tony told him as he stood up from his spot on the couch. “I’m gonna go call May so we can figure this out. Is that okay?” Tony asked. Peter gave a hesitant nod. Tony gave him a reassuring smile and reached out to ruffle his already unkempt curls before turning to leave the room so he could talk to May privately. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once Tony got to his room and shut the door he pulled his phone out of his pocket, quickly dialling May’s number with a large intake of breath. This was going to break May’s heart and Tony didn’t want to be the one to tell her but it has to be done. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello? Tony? What's wrong? Is Peter okay?” May’s voice came through his phone, throwing worried questions his way. Tony let out a soft sigh. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, May…” Tony greeted gloomily. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Tony? What’s wrong?” May questioned anxiously, having picked up on Tony’s tone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you aware that Rob was abusing Peter both physically and sexually?” Tony finally let the question slip from his lips. He knew May didn’t know but he didn’t want to have to just straight out tell her that was happening to Peter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“W-What?” came May’s heartbroken voice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had just left the room, leaving Peter to his anxious thoughts. He appeared calm on the outside but his heart was trying to burst out of his chest. He was scared. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was scared that Rob would get to May first before Tony could. What if Rob gets away with it? What if the police don’t believe him and let Rob go? What if Rob gets to him and kills him? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anxiety stabbed at his heart, making it clench painfully. Peter was starting to hyperventilate and was trying to calm himself down when the door to the elevator dinged, announcing someone’s arrival. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned around and wished it had been anybody else other than the person that walked through those doors. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter felt his whole body stiffen when Rob’s dark and angry eyes landed on him. Peter was frozen with fear that he barely managed to scream for Tony before a clammy hand was clamped over his mouth, muffling it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter struggled but immediately stopped when he felt the cold barrel of a gun being pressed to his temple. His eyes were wide with fear and he whimpered into the hand over his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If I even hear a peep out of you I won’t hesitate to blow your brains all over this couch.” came Rob's dark threatening voice. Peter squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You and I are going home. Got it? No funny business on the way out.” Rob told him, warm breath fanning over his ear making Peter cringe but nod nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rob then pulled Peter up to his feet and made a beeline to the elevator. The doors slid shut and Peter felt himself on the verge of tears. Rob had changed positions so now he had his hand around Peter’s waist but was pressing the barrel of the gun, which was hiding in Rob’s sleeve, to his back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The doors opened to reveal the Lobby and Rob nudged him forward, beginning to walk toward the exit. Peter looked around at the people, hoping someone would notice him. Luckily a woman who worked at the front counter whose name was Tracy had noticed him and how he looked distressed. She noticed the bruises on his face and neck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She furrowed her brows and frowned, silently asking if he was okay. He shook his head and mouthed the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It took her a second to realize what he had said, her eyes flicking to Rob and the hand to Peter’s back for a second before she looked back up at his face. She gave him a tight nod before picking up her phone and calling someone. Peter sighed in relief and looked away, noticing that they finally reached the exit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rob dragged Peter out of the tower and to the parking lot. Once they reached his car Peter raised a confused brow when the trunk popped open. Suddenly he was pushed forward and was stumbling into it. He cried out for him to wait but was cut off when the trunk slammed shut, darkness surrounding him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony felt his heart drop when FRIDAY’s voice rang out from the ceiling, notifying him that Tracy had noticed Peter being led out of the tower by an older man who was identified as Rob Davis. Tony was still on the phone with May when FRIDAY told him that and May heard it, she began freaking out and saying that she was leaving work. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stayed on the phone with her as he pulled out his tablet and pulled up the security cameras. He could see Rob leading a terrified Peter out of the building with a hand pressed to his back. Tony zoomed in and saw the very tip of the barrel of a gun. He switched to the outdoor cameras and saw Rob shoving Peter into the trunk of his car before getting into the driver's seat and driving away from the tower. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony jumped into action as soon as he saw Rob drive down the street that he always took to take Peter back home. Tony told May to meet him at the apartment before hanging up. He ran down to the lab and let the Iron Man suit close around him before he was taking off into the sky. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear to god Peter if you lie to me </span>
  <em>
    <span>one more time </span>
  </em>
  <span>I will kill May right in front of you and then I’ll kill you.” Rob roared as he delivered another kick to Peter’s ribs who was sobbing on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please! I’m telling the truth! I didn’t tell a-anyone!” Peter pleaded, holding his hands to his ribs which were definitely broken as he tried to back further away from the fuming man.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ever since they got back to the apartment Rob has been screaming and beating him, demanding to know if he told anyone what he had done. Peter was lying, and Rob knew that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll ask you one more time, Peter. Did you tell Stark?” Rob inquired calmly. He pressed his boot down on Peter’s ribs earning a pained gasp from the boy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I di-didn’t! I didn’t!” Peter sobbed as he grabbed at the boot pushing down on his chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re lying!” Rob yelled through clenched teeth as he pushed his foot down harder making Peter scream in pain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please stop!” Peter cried and was finally able to take in a painful but refreshing breath when the boot was lifted off of his chest. It didn’t last long though because suddenly Rob was straddling him and had his hands wrapped around his throat, seething with anger. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Rob wait-” Peter tried to reason with the man but was cut off as his breath caught in his throat from Rob’s thumbs pressing against his windpipe. Peter squirmed and struggled as he felt all of his air being cut off and he knew his face was turning red from lack of oxygen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All he could see was Rob’s infuriated face as black spots danced around his vision. Just as he was about to pass out the door burst open and he heard the sound of repulsors charging up before Rob went flying into the wall behind him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter inhaled a large amount of air as his windpipe was released and he was thrown into a coughing fit as he touched his neck. He heard May’s worried voice as she ran over to him and helped him sit up. He continued coughing as May rubbed his back soothingly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stepped out of his suit and looked down at the now unconscious man. He glared down at him and was tempted to kill him right then and there. But he didn’t. Peter wouldn’t want that no matter how evil the man is. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony made sure he was unconscious before walking over to his panting kid who had managed to stop coughing. He was sporting a new black eye and bloody nose along with an even more bruised neck. Tony swore he was gonna choke out Rob to make him feel what Peter felt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony crouched down in front of Peter, supporting him instead when May stood up to walk over to Rob. He could hear her come to a stop in front of the unconscious man before taking a deep breath. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...You son of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>BITCH!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she screamed as she wound up a kick and landed it right between Rob’s open legs. The man groaned in pain in his unconscious state and Tony let out a small laugh, noticing the amused look on Peter’s bloodstained face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>May and Tony coddled Peter as police stormed into the apartment and arrested Rob, the man had woken up as they pulled him to his feet. His dark eyes landed on Peter and he attempted to spit on him but he was too far so it landed about a foot away from the boy. He began screaming profanities at Peter making him flinch and bury his face into Tony’s shirt, Tony wrapping a protective arm around him as he did. May made to stand up and give Rob a piece of her mind but Tony reached out and caught her arm, holding her back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Police took Rob to be locked up in the Avengers Compound where Tony would deal with him later. But for now, he needed to be there for Peter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And that’s exactly what he would do. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Later that night May, Tony, Peter, and Ned were all cuddled up on the sofa in the living room of the tower watching The Empire Strikes Back. Everyone was surrounding Peter, being his protective shield from the evil out in the world such as Rob. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had told May and Tony everything that had happened with Rob from the first time he was introduced to the man to now. May looked heartbroken as her Nephew told her everything that she was unaware was happening behind closed doors or when she wasn’t there, sometimes even when she was there but she was so oblivious to it that she hadn’t noticed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had assured her that it wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know. He told her that he never told anyone because of the threats Rob made about hurting her. She and Tony promised him that no matter what situation he was in he would always be able to come to them and they would work it out like they always do. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had asked if Ned could come and stay the night at the tower with him and May which Tony smiled and nodded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now here they were, cuddled up together and safe. Peter could finally relax now that Rob was gone. The constant humming of his spidey-senses whenever he got home finally gone and replaced with nothing but peace. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After everything was sorted out Rob was finally sentenced to life in prison, but not before Tony had paid a visit to him. Could Tony promise that he didn’t give the man a piece of his mind using his fists? No.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked at the family around him and finally allowed himself to smile a real smile that he hadn’t been able to do since Rob was brought into his life. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter let his eyes close in content as his father, mother, and brother figure sat around him, making sure that he knew...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was loved.</span>
</p>
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